North Korea often makes headlines, but much of what happens inside this secretive nation remains a mystery. It’s a country unlike any other, with rules and a way of life that can seem truly unbelievable to outsiders. Are you ready to peek behind the curtain? Prepare to be surprised, and perhaps a little unsettled, as we explore some of the most fascinating and often strange realities of North Korea.
10 Propaganda Village
Imagine a village built just for show. That’s Kijong-dong, located near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. From a distance, it looks like a prosperous town, complete with brightly painted buildings and even electricity – a rare luxury in rural North Korea. It boasts one of the world’s tallest flagpoles. However, observers note that the lights turn on and off at set times, and the buildings appear to be empty shells. North Korea claims 200 happy families live there, practicing the state’s Juche ideology. In reality, it’s widely believed to be a “propaganda village,” designed to lure defectors from the South or simply to project an image of prosperity. The only people seen there are maintenance workers. Loudspeakers once blasted propaganda messages towards South Korea, making this village a truly bizarre symbol of the ongoing division.
9 Kidnapped Film Directors for a Communist Godzilla
Kim Jong Il, the late leader of North Korea, was a huge movie fan. He reportedly owned a massive film collection. But his love for cinema took a dark turn. In the late 1970s, famed South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife, Choi Eun-hee, were kidnapped on separate occasions and taken to North Korea. Their mission? To make films for Kim Jong Il, including a communist-inspired monster movie called Pulgasari, which bears a striking resemblance to Godzilla. The idea was to create a giant socialist beast smashing the bourgeoisie. The couple made several films under duress before managing to escape years later during a film festival trip to Vienna. North Korea has admitted to abducting 13 Japanese citizens but claims others died, a statement Japan disputes. The true number of abductees may be much higher.
8 Government-Mandated Poop Quotas
This might sound like a strange joke, but it’s a grim reality. Due to severe shortages of chemical fertilizer, North Korea has reportedly turned to human waste to nourish its crops. In the past, the government has ordered citizens to meet quotas for producing human manure. Each person, including those in cities, might be tasked with collecting hundreds of kilograms of their own feces. This practice, born out of desperation, highlights the extreme economic hardships and food shortages faced by the country. For a population already dealing with food rations, fulfilling such a quota presents an enormous challenge and speaks volumes about the state’s control over even the most personal aspects of life.
7 State-Run “Pleasure Squads”
One of the more disturbing reports to emerge from North Korea concerns the existence of “pleasure squads.” These groups reportedly consist of young, attractive women recruited – often straight from school – to entertain and provide services for high-ranking officials, including the supreme leader. Defectors have described how girls as young as 15 were selected based on their looks and then trained in various skills, including massage and singing. According to some accounts, these squads were not just for Kim Jong Il but also served other senior members of the ruling class at official functions. Former members have shared stories of lavish lifestyles within the secretive compounds, juxtaposed with the immense control exerted over their lives. Kim Jong Il was also said to have expensive tastes, including a fondness for Hennessy brandy and exotic foods.
6 Perpetual Darkness: The Electricity Crisis
Satellite images of the Korean peninsula at night tell a stark story. While South Korea blazes with light, North Korea is mostly a vast patch of darkness, with only a faint glimmer from the capital, Pyongyang. This illustrates the severe energy crisis the country faces. Most of the population lives without reliable electricity. Government buildings and monuments to the Kim family are often prioritized, leaving ordinary citizens in the dark. Decades of economic mismanagement, international sanctions, and an outdated infrastructure mean that power generation is woefully inadequate. South Koreans consume over 10,000 kilowatt hours of power per person annually, while North Koreans use just over 700. This lack of energy impacts every aspect of life, from industry to daily household activities.
5 Western Media’s Surprising Praise for Regime Figures
Sometimes, international politics creates strange situations. During the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un and a high-ranking official in the Workers’ Party, made a diplomatic appearance. Some Western media outlets were criticized for what appeared to be overly positive coverage, with headlines describing her as striking a “chord with the public” or winning a “diplomatic dance.” Critics argued that this coverage overlooked her role in a regime responsible for widespread human rights abuses, including executions and the operation of political prison camps. The incident sparked a debate about how media should cover figures from such regimes, especially when political tensions with other nations, like the US at the time, are high.
4 The Great Swedish Volvo Heist
In the 1970s, North Korea aimed to show off its economic progress. As part of this effort, President Kim Il Sung ordered 1,000 Volvo 144 sedans from Sweden. The cars were delivered, but North Korea never paid for them. Sweden was one of the first Western countries to open an embassy in Pyongyang, and businesses were eager to tap into this new market. Decades later, Sweden still sends an invoice to North Korea twice a year for the unpaid debt, which, with interest, has grown to hundreds of millions of euros. The Volvos, once a symbol of potential luxury, are reportedly still seen on the streets of Pyongyang, some now serving as taxis. It’s a bizarre tale of international commerce gone wrong, leaving Sweden with a very old, unpaid bill.
3 Escape to a Worse Fate: Trafficking of Defectors
Escaping North Korea is incredibly dangerous, but for many, the nightmare doesn’t end if they make it across the border. A significant number of defectors, especially women, cross into China. Reports indicate that a horrifyingly high percentage of these women fall victim to human traffickers. They are often sold as brides to Chinese men, particularly in rural areas where there’s a shortage of women. These women can face abuse, forced marriage, and a constant fear of being caught by Chinese authorities and repatriated to North Korea, where they would face severe punishment, including imprisonment in brutal labor camps. The journey to freedom is fraught with peril, and for many, it leads to another form of captivity.
2 Women: Second-Class Citizens, Yet Key Breadwinners
Officially, North Korea promotes gender equality. However, the reality for many women is different. While men are often tied to state-assigned jobs that pay very little, women have increasingly become the primary breadwinners for their families through selling goods in informal markets. Despite this crucial economic role, women face various forms of discrimination. For example, there have been periodic bans on women riding bicycles, a vital mode of transportation for market activities, deemed “unfeminine.” Rules about clothing, such as restrictions on wearing trousers, can also create practical difficulties. These contradictory pressures place a heavy burden on North Korean women, who are essential to their families’ survival yet constrained by societal and state-imposed limitations.
1 A Harsh Reality for North Korean Children
Childhood in North Korea is far from carefree. Widespread malnutrition affects a significant percentage of children, leading to stunted growth and long-term health problems. UNICEF and the World Health Organization have reported alarming rates of malnourishment. Infant mortality rates are also considerably higher than in neighboring South Korea. Education is heavily focused on ideological indoctrination, teaching loyalty to the Kim dynasty and hostility towards perceived enemies like the United States. Children often participate in mass games and parades, and some are required to work in agriculture from a young age. For those whose families are not in favor with the regime, life can be even tougher, with limited opportunities and the constant threat of collective punishment.
North Korea remains one of the world’s most isolated and controlled societies. These facts offer just a glimpse into a reality that is complex, often bleak, and profoundly different from what most of us know. The resilience of its people in the face of such adversity is a story that often goes unheard.
Which of these facts about North Korea did you find the most surprising or unsettling? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
